Rub It In
by MrsChaucersSquire
Summary: My version of the upcoming Daddy DiNozzo episode. Daddy's not so nice. Don't worry, Gibbs is there to take care of Tony. Father/son Warning: lots of cursing. Now edited, reformatted, and finished.
1. Chapter 1

Thanks to my two awesome betas Kejfe and Karen19, who made this story, much more smoth. I wish I could send them a box of chocolates. Also, this was written before the Daddy DiNozzo episode, so it may not fit after next week. Oh well.

Tony DiNozzo stomped up and down the conference room in a rage. He couldn't believe what had just happened. Angrily, he turned and slammed his fist into the wall, then howled at the pain. The wall was definitely not what he wanted to hit. Right now, though, he would settle for the pain as neither of the men he wanted to strike was in the room. Although he had a sneaking suspicion that one of them would be joining him soon. His huffing was shortly interrupted by the door opening.

"You had no right!" DiNozzo snarled before Gibbs could even shut the door.

Gibbs eyes narrowed. He had just saved DiNozzo's ass and the agent was obviously not appreciative. He quietly closed the door and turned towards his senior field agent. "Sit" he ordered.

"No. "Tony replied angrily as he stepped into Gibbs personal space. "That was my fight!" Tony poked his finger into Gibbs chest screaming. "You had no right."

Angered and shocked at Tony's forwardness, Gibbs roughly pushed Tony's

hand way. Obviously, Tony was pissed off at his father, but anger was no excuse for the disrespectful attitude or his earlier stupidity. "He was goading you, idiot! You were going to hit him." Gibbs responded pressing into Tony's space.

"I don't F-ing care. He's a jerk. If I wanted to hit him, that was my right. You made me look like a moron." Tony spit back.

"You were acting like a moron!"

DiNozzo's eyes narrowed to a slit and hands subconsciously formed into fists. "Screw you Gibbs! "

"You would have lost your job." Gibbs growled, angered at Tony's unreasonable attitude. If Tony had taken a swing at his father in full view of multiple security cameras and his father's lawyers, he very likely would have lost his job. NCIS would have had a huge lawsuit on its hands and Tony might even have lost his freedom.

However, Tony didn't think about what could have happened. Tony thought only of Gibbs ordering him to the conference like a disobedient child in full view of his father. And his father's snide chuckle at the situation.

"Hitting him was my right, Dammit!" Tony yelled in response.

Gibbs' hand rose automatically slapping the back of DiNozzo's head. "I'm not losing you because you can't keep yourself in check."

In most instances, a 'Gibbs slap' wasn't exactly welcomed, but at least it made Tony feel cared about. However in this moment the slap hit a little too close to home, a little too close to his wicked childhood. The visit from his father had awoken memories and Gibbs had unintentionally rubbed salt in his wounds, and like a hurt animal Tony responded with only rage.

His teeth gritted, Tony raised his hands to Gibbs chest and deliberately pushed his boss out of his personal space. "I am not stupid," he pushed again. "I am not immature," he pushed again. "And I am not your responsibility! " He pushed one more time, more roughly than he had before.

Stunned, Gibbs grabbed for DiNozzo's wrists. However, Tony knew what was coming and deftly moved out of the way. As he slipped behind Gibbs his fists rose automatically and he took a swing. Gibbs though, didn't miss twice. He ducked below Tony's fist and came up after the arm had passed over him. He skillfully grabbed for Tony's arm and used his momentum to shove Tony to the floor. He pulled up on the arm and twisted Tony's wrist locking Tony face down on the ground.

Tony yelped in pain. "Let me go" he screamed. "F#$ you, Gibbs." Tony struggled, angrily trying to shift out of his boss's grip. Unsurprisingly, Gibbs grip was Marine tight and Tony barely budged from his position on the floor. A move in any direction meant pressure on his arm.

"DiNozzo, Calm down!" Gibbs ordered.

However, Tony wasn't in the mood to take orders, he shifted and pushed trying to get out of Gibbs' grasp.

The more Tony struggled, his face planted on the carpet, the more he swore. "Let me GO Gibbs, F#! you. Let me go!"

"DiNozzo, stop!" Gibbs reprimanded, holding his charge to the floor.

Heatedly, Tony continued the fight. "I'll sue you. I'll f$#$ing sue your pants off. I'll take every red cent your exes don't already have. Let me go!" His breath came in heaving spurts and he pushed against Gibbs grip even more, ignoring the arm pain he was causing himself. "You're a bastard. No wonder they all left you. You're f%#%ing alone and I know why."

Holding Tony's arm, pinning him to the floor, Gibbs' heart bled. True, he was angry. Tony was persistently pushing every one of Gibbs buttons. Nevertheless, he'd seen pure rage in Tony's eyes as Tony had pushed him. The team leader had realized the moment he pressed Tony to the floor that Tony's fury was misdirected. Obviously, Tony was angry at his father, and at being chided in front of the man.

Tony bellowed while attempting to shift out of Gibbs grip. Laying flat on the floor, trapped was infuriating. "I quit you b$##$. I QUIT! Do you hear me? Are you happy now? I'm not your responsibility and I won't embarrass you! I'll leave and you will never have to see me again. Let ME GO!"

The statements Tony shouted, supposedly directed at Gibbs, shed light on Tony's relationship with his father. They showed the shame and guilt Tony's father had transferred to an innocent child years ago.

"This case is all you care about! You don't want to lose this damn case because my father is involved. You care more about the case then me!" Tony shouted attempting to squirm out of Gibbs grasp.

Truthfully, Tony's father had disgusted Gibbs as well. For Gibbs, spending minutes with the man had been infuriating and he could only imagine what growing up with that man had done to his senior field agent. At the moment he wished only to comfort and support Tony, but he knew he had to wait until Tony stopped fighting. Sadly, his support would not be appreciated at the moment. He considered physically manhandling his senior field agent into an embrace but quickly gave up on the idea. He knew he wasn't strong enough to hold Tony when he was fighting like this. Instead, he mentally blocked out Tony's shrieks and angry words; he chose instead to focus only on his grip. He knew eventually Tony would tire from the fighting.

"I F-ing quit, Gibbs! I quit, you hear me! You can't stop me." Tony shouted. "I hate you. I HATE YOU!" he howled. Tony suddenly slumped; exhausted from fighting in the prone position. He was still breathing heavily, panting from the exertions. He wanted to keep fighting but he knew it would be in vain.

Gibbs slowly and gently slipped to the floor semi releasing the pressure on Tony's arm. Quickly, Tony tried to pull away. "Ah!" Gibbs scolded pulling up on his arm re-pinning him. "You don't move." Tony gritted his teeth in response and momentarily considered disobeying.

Gibbs could see the indecision on his face he knew he needed to control of the situation. "DiNozzo." He barked, pushing Tony for a response. "You don't move!" he ordered.

"Yes, Sir." Tony growled though his teeth, knowing the reaction Gibbs was waiting for. He had no idea what Gibbs was going to do next and he had no idea how the whole situation had gotten so out of hand. His major urge suddenly changed from fight to flight. All he wanted to do was run but instead he stayed in place. Right now, Gibbs had the upper hand.

Gibbs slowly lowered himself to the ground and sat next to Tony, who still lay stomach down on the carpeted conference room floor. Sadly, Tony looked spooked. Momentarily confused about what was frightening his fearless senior field agents, Gibbs quickly realized that the response was a reflection of previous years.

For several reasons, the older man was unsure of how to handle the situation. First, his senior field agent was almost never spooked. Flight or Fight had definitely kicked in. Second, being in control was very important to DiNozzo . Gibbs knew his instincts to protect and shield Tony might make the situation worse. Third, Gibbs recognized he was a failure at comforting with words. His emotional vocabulary was severely lacking.

Sitting next to Tony, he finally decided to quit analyzing and instead go with his gut.

The normally ridged and unrelenting Leroy Jethro Gibbs reached over and softly placed his hand on Tony's back. It saddened Gibbs that Tony flinched in response. Undeterred, Gibbs continued on the path he'd decided on. He started by gently patting the top of DiNozzo's back. Then easily, his hand slid back and forth over Tony's tense back. He rubbed in a consistent pattern, attempting to calm the younger man. He suppressed the urge to speak and focused only on soothing and consoling Tony through the tender motion.

When Gibbs had placed his hand on Tony's back, Tony had sucked in a mouthful of air and frozen. As his boss began rubbing his back he tightly clamped his eyes shut unable to breath. Whatever he had been expecting in response to his temper tantrum, this had not been it. Suddenly, he was very ashamed of his earlier actions. He was still mad at Gibbs for treating him like a child in front of his father, but now he was more upset about throwing a punch at the man he respected most in the world.

And now, even after all he had said to Gibbs and after all he had done, Gibbs was attempting to comfort him. He fought with every ounce of his willpower to stop the tears that were threatening to fall. He slowly released the breath he was holding. Simultaneously the situation was soothing and uncomfortable. He wanted a father's touch, a father's love, but he felt uncomfortable accepting the attention. He'd thrown a fit, attempted to physically assault his boss and verbally punched Gibbs in the stomach. When he shifted slightly thinking about getting up, Gibbs pushed down softly warning him not to. Tony complied, and then relented to the situation.

They sat like that for minutes in near silence. Gibbs' hand sliding back and forth across Tony's back, quietly trying to erase the pain and stress he could see in Tony's body. Unhappily, Gibbs realized Tony may never have had anyone rub his back. He thought maybe someday he should ask but he knew was unlikely to press the topic. The few times he'd pushed Tony to open up had not gone well. Unexpectedly, rubbing Tony's back seemed to be going quite well.

After a minute of rubbing, Tony had quit shifting and his breathing had evened out. For the first time since his father had walked in the door, he didn't feel like punching someone. He didn't remember ever having his back rubbed, and strangely it was beginning to feel good. Gibbs full attention was on him and it wasn't in a negative way. He didn't understand why his boss was being nice, but he wasn't going to complain.

After two minutes, Tony's back, arm, and leg muscles began to relax. He focused on feeling his bosses hand on his back. His shirt was too thick to feel the calluses that Tony knew were present. Nonetheless, he felt the weight of the hand and the pressure on his back. His boss' hands seemed larger than he'd remembered and Gibbs hand was gentler than he had imagined too. He realized he could feel more of his bosses hand when it slid towards the small of his back. Realizing that Gibbs was probably uncomfortable with the close contact, gave him a slight chill. Gibbs was willing to go out of his way to reassure Tony.

Tony kept his eyes shut, sure that Gibbs would quit soothing him the moment he opened them. He didn't want the sensation to end. Seeing his father had hurt. Attacking Gibbs, even though it had been his fault, had hurt. And being pinned to the floor had hurt. And now he didn't hurt. He was however nervous about what would happen afterward.

After five minutes, Tony had the courage and the wherewithal to open his eyes. He wanted to see what was happening. If he couldn't see Gibbs, he had a harder time telling what his boss was thinking. And at the moment knowing what his boss was thinking seam very important. He wanted to see Gibbs face. Unfortunately, his face was turned towards Gibbs, but all he could see was Gibbs' outstretched leg.

Gibbs, however, had a side view of Tony's face and he could tell that he had chosen the correct plan of action. Some of the tension was still evident in Tony's eyes, but most had vanished. It had been mopped away by the soft caressing.

Truthfully Gibbs knew he could probably quit at this point and move to the next step, but he didn't want to. He'd had a glimpse of Tony's core today and he wanted to help, to repair some of the damage that his father had inflicted. And just maybe he enjoyed comforting Tony, although he'd never admit it. Sometimes he wished Tony was still a child, and that he'd been able to rescue him before his father had messed with his head. But then again Anothony DiNozzo might have been a different person. And strangely, he liked Tony just the way he was.

Gibbs knew he could not sit on the floor soothing Tony forever. They both had to get back to work, they were still in the middle of a case. Tony's brainless father had tried to interrupt the investigation when his name had come up as an associate of the dead man. McGee and Ziva were doubtlessly still working on other leads and Gibbs had to go see what they had found.

Gibbs was also aware he needed return the current situation to something more typical. Tony was going to be uncomfortable enough, with the fact that he had attacked Gibbs. If Gibbs continued being nice, Tony would only become suspicious.

Gibbs removed his hand and creakily dragged himself off the floor. He was getting far too old for sitting on the ground. As Gibbs stood above him, Tony didn't move. Gibbs was proud that Tony waited for orders to stir. "Up." He instructed and Tony was on his feet immediately. Sometimes Gibbs envied Tony's youth. "Sit." He drilled pointing to the nearest chair. Tony listened without argument, but his mouth opened the moment his butt hit the chair.

"Boss, I.." he began to apologize attempting to meet Gibbs eyes. He was unable to finish because Gibbs interrupted him.

"You, are going to sit here and think."Gibbs ordered. DiNozzo's head dropped unable to respond.

" You'll wait until you are completely calm, then you'll go to your desk." Gibbs continued, standing above Tony.

"And, IF you still want to quit, you will write your letter of resignation. If NOT you'll get back to work on our current case."

"Yes, Sir" Tony replied quietly into his lap. He was unable to look up to at his boss. He felt guilty, sad, ashamed and useless. Every attribute he worked to avoid was compiling in him.

Gibbs decided maybe his orders had come out a little strong, Tony almost looked like he would blow over. On a normal day, Tony would never back down, but it seemed that nothing was normal today.

Gibbs turned and marched out of the room. He turned back towards Tony just before shutting the door. Gibbs could tell that he still wanted to run. "DiNozzo!" he said. Tony's head snapped up automatically. Gibbs softened his voice. "I don't want you to quit." The edge of Tony's mouth curled up in a slight grin at the reassurance. "Got it Boss." He responded, before Gibbs shut the door and left him alone with his thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

Shockingly, the rest of the work day went smoothly. Tony had spent another 10 minutes in the conference room, before heading back to his desk and launching into work on their current case. He had only momentarily considered quitting. He was beyond embarrassed, but decided that if Gibbs wanted him he and he wanted to be here than he would just have to suck it up and deal with his embarrassment. He knew that also meant he was going to have to deal with his father.

Ziva and McGee had attempted to question Gibbs about Tony's whereabouts when he had returned , but Gibbs had order them back to work, informing them it was none of their business and if they wanted to keep their jobs they'd better focus on their business, the current case. He knew they only asked because they cared, but it still wasn't there business.

They'd almost asked Tony about it when he came back to his desk, but Gibbs had quickly shut them down with a glare. DiNozzo needed room to breathe.

Tony didn't exactly appreciate the gesture, because he didn't think need protecting.

Six O-clock rolled around rather quickly. Gibbs stood ordered the team to go home as most of the people they were trying to contact had gone home for the day anyway.

McGee and Ziva stood immediately and each individually noticed Tony's lack of movement. Both stopped by his desk on the way out and quietly spoke privately to Tony. He waved them off with a smile and joke. Gibbs hid his slight grin. Tony wouldn't be Tony if he didn't cover every negative experience with a joke. His teammates didn't buy the act, but they dropped the matter anyway. Tony would talk when Tony was ready. Until then it would only upset him to push the topic.

Soon, Tony and Gibbs were the only ones left in the bull pen. Gibbs knew what Tony was doing. He didn't want to go home. He knew his father would show up. The man probably already had some lackey sitting outside of Tony's apartment waiting to report that Tony had come home.

Tony was also aware that he was likely to see his father later. However, Gibbs was wrong about that being the reason he was staying at work. Truthfully he was trying to work out how to apologize to his Boss. He knew he shouldn't say he was sorry, and break one of Gibbs rules. On the other hand he felt the need to express regret for his actions. He still hadn't decided on a plan of action when his boss approached him.

As soon as Gibbs spoke the entire apology fled out of his head.

"My place or yours?" Gibbs asked.

Again DiNozzo was annoyed. "I'm going to my place and I don't need to be babysat."

"Didn't say you did." His boss replied calmly.

"So you just want to come to my house for the great company, then." Tony replied with a smile.

"I'm not going to interfere, DiNozzo. It's just safer if I'm there."

"You don't need to be there. I can handle him, Boss."

"I'm not going to stop you from hurting him Tony""

Tony's eyes showed his shock at that statement. How did Gibbs always know what he was thinking? Was he really that readable?

"Let's have this conversation somewhere else." Gibbs explained, indicating the cameras with a slight tilt of his head.

Tony grabbed his stuff and they headed for the elevator. Gibbs hit the switch as soon as they started moving. They needed to talk. Gibbs needed to make sure his boy was ready to face his evil father.

"I know you're not going to give in to him DiNozzo. You have more balls than a Ferrari." Gibbs started staring at the elevator wall.

Tony chucked in response. His boss certainly had a way with words. Obviously, he was trying to convey confidence, but Tony partly missed the message, already in defensive mode. "He can't manipulate me boss. He's never been able to."

"You can't let him make you angry. You need to get the upper hand" Gibbs instructed, preparing Tony.

"I will, I promise boss." Tony's reply was automatic. _Show no weakess. _He repeated his childhood mantra in his head. He couldn't let Gibbs take this fight from him. He had to stand up to his Dad.

"You heard of the twisted sister?" Gibbs asked, puzzling Tony. Was Gibbs inving him to go get a drink?

"That's one hard drink but I'm not really in the mood to go out tonight boss."

"Not the drink. Twisted sister;--when you pinch the nerve right here at the top of the neck." Gibbs said with a smile taping his neck.

Tony smirked now following his line of logic. "Hurts like hell but doesn't leave a mark." He replied, realizing what Gibbs was going for.

"Yeah, you ever tried it?"

"Once, but I never practiced it." Tony replied honestly. Gibbs really understood the art of close combat fighting. It wouldn't hurt to get a little refresher before taking on his Dad.

Gibbs reached over and picked up Tony's hand placing it on his neck. Tony jerked his hand back, dropping his back pack. "Gibbs I'm not pinching you. That's a little too kinky." He replied using his most common defense mechanism, humor.

"You need to practice. It makes it smoother when you grab for someone."

Tony hesitated. Not wanting to hurt Gibbs. He'd fought the man enough today. Gibbs however, wasn't in the mood for Tony's faltering.

" Now DiNozzo!" he shouted.

He didn't want to but he knew Gibbs was right. He had to be prepared. He grabbed for Gibbs, but Gibbs duck shoving him against the elevator wall. He immediately let his senior field agent go. Clearly this was training.

"Don't grab from above, it's too easy to knock your hand out of the way. "

Tony tried again, punching lower and moving out of Gibbs way when he shot forward. Pulling up on his boss's arm he used a move very similar to the one his boss had used to take him to the floor earlier. Instead of shoving him to the floor his other hand move automatically to the place on Gibbs neck his boss had indicated. He pinched lightly and was shocked to hear his boss yelp. He immediately let go and backed up one step.

Gibbs hand went to his own neck, rubbing the spot Tony had just pinch. He glanced up at Tony "Good boy." Tony couldn't believe how many compliments he had gotten in one day.

Giibbs turned and flipped the switch on the elevator. He was still rubbing his pinched neck when the elevator hit the ground floor.

As they walked to their cars, which were parked relatively close to each other, Tony contemplating telling Gibbs he didn't want him to come to his place. He wasn't sure how to bring the subject up again. His boss was obviously trying to be helpful. Luckily, he didn't have to bring it up. Gibbs could tell what he was thinking.

"I'm just coming to watch Tony. I know you can take care of this."

"Thanks, boss" Tony replied, surprised when Gibbs continued.

"Although, I admit I wouldn't mind getting my hands on him either."

Tony folded over laughing at the statement. It stuck him as funny, and he wasn't sure why. He'd known that when Gibbs met his dad, they wouldn't get along, but he hadn't expected Gibbs could conspire to inflict pain on the man.

They took separate cars to Tony's, and Gibbs stopped on the way to grab a pizza. They hadn't want to show up at the same time, thinking that Daddy DiNozzo's lackey might tell him to hold off if he knew Gibbs was going to be present.

Gibbs snuck up the back entrance, avoiding the conspicuously parked car in the front. He also intentionally walked past the camera in the back parking lot. When he got up stairs, the two agents snacked on the pizza silently while waiting for the inevitable. It didn't take long for there to be a knock at the door. Tony answered it alone. "Hi Dad" he greeted cheerfully. His acting was one of the main reasons Gibbs had hire him.

"Quit F#$ around Anthony and let us in."

"Sorry Dad, I'm not really in the mood to talk to your lawyers or bouncers. You're welcome to come if you like."

"I'm not stepping foot in that apartment without them and you know that." replied the tall man.

"Okay, well bye then. See you later. " Tony said with confidence. As closed the door, he fake coughed calling his father "chicken".

He known the reaction he was going to get. He father pushed through the door. "I'm not afraid of you, you little s$#." The lawyers outside attempted to follow.

"Ah!" Tony warned the hired men. "Outside, or I call the police and tell them you decided to trespass on the property of a federal agent. "

The lawyers glanced at their boss, unsure of what to do.

Tony's father waved them off. "I'll be fine. Wait outside. I'll be done in the minute. "

Tony closed the door double bolting it behind his Dad. He turned and headed towards the kitchen, his father following.

"So Dad, you want a beer? I'm afraid I don't have your favorite. Not that I was that good at mixing your drinks in the first place."

"You know what I want. You get NCIS to quit looking into my affairs and I leave you alone." His dad indicated the paper in his hand. DiNozzo Sr. hadn't noticed Gibbs standing quietly in the back corner of the kitchen.

Tony took a swig of his beer. "Dad, we already talked about this. I'm not touching this. My job is important to me."

"You care more about your stupid job than you own father?" his Dad played.

"Yeah, I do. I wonder who I learned that from." Tony responded sarcastically.

His father was one to talk. He's dad had always cared more about the job than Tony. His dad had even chewing him out for vomiting at school when he was eight. The school hadn't been able to get a hold of his mother, so his father had to leave a business meeting to come get him. For the next week his father reprimanded him for interrupting his important business for a silly little flu.

"Don't blame your disrespectful attitude on me. You got that from your damn mother." His father goaded.

"Mom has NOTHING to do with this." Tony responded heatedly.

"Momma's boy." His father said harassing him. "You never did have the balls to do what you wanted. Always did what your mamma wanted."

"You're the one who married her." Tony spit back.

"You're the one who killed her." his father provoked.

"I didn't f$# kill her! She killed herself." Tony shouted back. Gibbs flicked him a look telling him to calm down. Tony decided maybe it was a good thing his boss had come.

His Dad was grinning, knowing hed pissed his son off. He never understood why his anger seemed to make his Dad so happy, but when ever Tony lost his temper his dad smiled. He probably thought he had the upper hand. Tony took a deep calming breath.

"She killed herself." Tony repeated calming. If there was one thing he had learned from Gibbs it was that everyone was responsible for their own actions, including his deceased mother.

"She killed herself because she had nothing to live for. He son was too much of a disappointment. It's a wonder I haven't killed myself." His father replied attempting to use guilt to manipulate his son.

"Go for it dad. I'm certainly not stopping you." Tony wondered when his father would realize he didn't fall for that crap anymore.

"Nope, you never couldn't stop me from doing anything I want. Enough with this crap. I'm a busy man."

"You always were, Dad."

"Here's what is going to happen. You're going stop NCIS from looking into my affairs. And you're going to sign this paper indicating that if NCIS ever does investigate me again it is all an act of revenge because I disowned you. " he said roughly pushing the paper into Tony's hands, stepping into his personal space.

"Nope" Tom responded holding the paper back out to his father. He suddenly felt a wave of pride wash over him. He was standing up against his dad. Pushing back never felt so good.

"Useless piece of s$#. You were never good for anything. You're going to do it in the end anyway."

"I am?" Tony questioned with a smirk.

"Well, when your friends start having "financial troubles" and "little accidents" you'll change your mind." His father threatened. The sentence sent a flare through Tony. If he had learned anything from Gibbs it was that you protected the team.

"You touch them, and you won't need to commit suicide. I'll take care of that for you." Tony replied threateningly.

The statement didn't faze Tony's father. The man was a brick. How could he assume Tony was the same weak kid he'd pushed around years ago. Tony wasn't going to take it anymore.

"Your choice, you sign this or I promise you'll regret it."

Tony smile faded as he reached for the pen in his father's hand and the now wrinkled document. His father grinned assuming he had won. Tony place the paper on the table leaning over it, pen in hand. The action caused his father to lean over the table in attempt to watch his son signing the document. Unfortunately, for him, the movement had been a ploy. As soon as his dad was in an unstable position, Tony slipped around grabbing his father's arm and twisting the older man's arm behind him. He immediately grabbed for his father's neck. This time he didn't hold back when his pinched.

His dad let out a yelp that would have scared any Marine. The position DiNozzo Sr. was currently in finally allowed him to realize Gibbs had been standing in the corner.

"Let me go, you little chicken s#$#!" His dad said struggle to escape his grasp.

"Chicken?" Tony asked, pinching again.

"Ahhh! Yeah, you needed your boss to protect your skinny a$$!" His dad shouted.

"He's here to protect you, Dad." Tony responded with a grin. He couldn't believe the position he held his dad in. It was a dream come true to be in control of the situation with his malicious father.

"I don't need his protection, you're going to jail for attacking me." His father angrily responded.

"That's weird. I don't remember attacking you. Boss, do you remember seeing me attacking him?" He asked cheerfully.

"Nope, just the two of you having a conversation." Gibbs responded conversationally.

"Doesn't mean anything if you two lie. I'm wired. I've got someone recording this whole conversation. "

His dad was certainly sneaky. Problem was Tony knew that and had pick up a few tricks over the years for dealing with his dad's kind.

"Well than it's a good thing I forgot to return those broadcast blockers from the last time I was undercover. Sorry, dad. You don't have anything." He said pinching one more time. _Boy does revenge feel good. _He thought to himself.

"Ahh! F#$# let me go!"

"Don't worry Dad. I've got this whole thing on tape. A little untraceable editing from Abby and the conversation will sound like you were threatening me and I was an innocent party."

"I always knew you'd ruin my life. From the day you were born you've been nothing but trouble." His father sputtered.

Gibbs stepped forward, ready to interrupt the man. Instead Tony interrupted him.

"I got it boss." He said, asking Gibbs to back off.

Respectfully, Gibbs stepped back without a word.

Tony pinched once more as his father cried out at the pressure.

"You're going to leave." He said pinching again.

"You're never going to bug me again." He pinched as hard as he could, causing his father severe pain. "And you will NEVER go near my friends. Or this tape will be release to the authorities."

"F#$ you." His father responded weekly, clearly in pain.

"Oh, and I also have some very interesting stories to tell about various business partners I remember from when I was a kid. By the way, I don't think those men wouldn't really like the stories I have to tell." With the end of the sentence, Tony let his father go.

The man turned immediately and grabbed his sore neck.

"You win for now. Don't worry; I'll get the upper hand again." He turned and stormed for the door of the apartment.


	3. Chapter 3

As Tony's father slammed the front door shut, Tony visibly slumped. He was exhausted and confused. Questions and memories swirled in his head. How could he hate his father and at the same time wish the man would change so they could have a real relationship?

Silently, he wished to never see his father again. That man knew how to harass him better than anyone in the world. Every time he saw or heard from his father was a mixed bag of emotions. At the moment he wasn't sure if he should be glad to see the man go or if he still wanted that father/son relationship he always saw in the movies. With everything spinning around in his head, he realized he had a horrible headache.

Gibbs, however, had a clear mind. Tony needed the evidence on his side, if this ever did go to court. He wished he could let Tony rest, but now was not the time. Gibbs knew Tony could hold out for just a little longer. He clamped his hands on either side of Tony shoulders, giving him a squeeze of reassurance then pushed Tony towards the door.

"Outside, in front of the security cameras, go wave goodbye and invite him back." Gibbs instructed.

Tony understood, and pushed himself forward. If he came out in front of the cameras, cheerily interacting with his Dad then their story about a non-violent conversation would hold up better in court. His happy mask was on by the time he hit the door.

His acting was phenomenal. He even had a slight bounce to his step, in spite of being exhausted. He caught up with his Dad and the group of lawyers in the lobby, exactly where Gibbs had told him to make a scene.

"It was great seeing you Dad! Sorry, I could help. Call me. Love you." He nearly choked over the last words. However, only his closest friends would have been able to read the hesitation. Because the cameras were watching, he smiled and waved. He had to keep up the ploy.

He dad didn't even turn around. He just continued to stomp towards his vehicle. The lawyers cast questioning glances over their shoulders at Tony, unsure of what had just happened. Their boss had told them nothing when he'd left the apartment.

Tony unintentionally frowned at the lack of response. He wasn't sure how he wanted his Dad to reply to the cheery good bye, but the silent treatment wounded him. He turned and headed quickly to his apartment, knowing he had to get out of the spotlight before he collapsed.

Gibbs was there when he opened door, and didn't even wince when Tony turned and slammed it shut. Tony looked like he was about to blow up or blow over, and Gibbs wasn't sure what was going to happen first. He also looked slightly nauseous. Gibbs' instinct to protect almost overwhelmed him. He wanted to punish the man who had hurt DiNozzo, but he knew Tony wouldn't approve. Wisely, he decided it was more important to look after Tony at the moment.

"Go take a shower." Gibbs ordered, knowing the water would sooth Tony's muscles and nerves.

"What?" Tony asked puzzled. He was still a bit dazed from everything that had just happened. Why would Gibbs want him to take a shower?

"It will help, trust me." Gibbs reassured.

Tony heaved a heavy sigh and headed in the direction of the bathroom.

As soon as he got to the bathroom he closed the door. He felt the sudden need to vomit. Dropping to his knees in front of the toilet, he lost his dinner.

Gibbs listened with sympathy. Poor kid. He'd probably been dreaming of revenge for years, but sadly he had learned from experience that revenge takes almost as much out of you as it does the other person. He wished he could do something more, but he was unsure as to what.

He was a man of action, who knew how to get the bad guys, to solve the crimes. Comforting the victim was not his strong point. Oh, he had done it in the past, when he needed to. With children and women it came easier, a simple hug and the tears flowed, releasing all the pent up fear and anger. With men it was different. Most men, wanted revenge, not a shoulder to cry on.

And Tony had gotten his revenge, but he could tell it had not been what the younger man was expecting. At the time, Tony had enjoyed it. His dream come true, in contrast to the nightmare he'd lived through as a child. But after the door shut, Gibbs could see how much it had taken out of him. Tony was a good man, and getting revenge had caused him both pleasure and pain. The conflicting emotions were probably the reason he had vomited.

Gibbs went to the kitchen grabbing a glass of water and headed back to the bathroom. Stopping at the door, he heard no sound. The shower wasn't running and the toilet wasn't flushing. "Tony" he said knocking gently. "I'm coming in."

He opened the door to a dazed senior field agent, sitting in front of the toilet. Sweat rolled off of his skin. He looked disheveled, which was quite abnormal for Anthony DiNozzo.

"I'm okay" Tony responded automatically, his voice slightly slurred.

"I can see that." Gibbs observed with a slight grin. The response was very Tony-like; to be on the floor in the bathroom after just vomiting and try and tell someone you were fine.

Placing the glass of water on the sink, he held out his hand offering to help Tony up.

Looking up at his boss from his position on the floor, Tony randomly thought about what it would be like to be shorter than Gibbs. He was an inch taller than his boss and in most circumstances found it quite entertaining when people had to look up at him. However, sitting on the floor staring up at Gibbs he felt quite small, a calming but confusing notion.

The passing thought was apparently distracting enough that Tony didn't bother reaching for his boss's hand. The lack of response worried Gibbs slightly, but he figured Tony deserved a little leeway.

Bending down, he placed his arm under Tony's and manhandled him off the bathroom floor.

"I got it, boss." Verbally Tony rejected the help, but physically he leaned into Gibbs as he was lifted off the floor. Gibbs could feel the heat rolling of the man at his side. He could also tell how tight Tony's muscles were with nervous tension.

He held Tony up long enough to be sure he wouldn't fall, then offered him the glass of water he'd brought in. "Rinse?"

Silently Tony washed out his mouth and flushed the remains of his dinner down the toilet. Gibbs could see the effort Tony was exerting in the simple action. He needed to get in the shower now; before he was so locked up he couldn't move. Gibbs tilted his head towards the shower indicating Tony's next action.

The look annoyed Tony.

"I'm going. Damn, you're a little impatient today aren't you?" Tony answered unhappily. He knew he was biting his boss's head off over nothing, but he wasn't sure why.

Gibbs, however knew exactly why. And despite the disrespectful attitude, he held his tongue. He turned and walked out of the room without a word, closing the door behind him. He needed to leave before Tony said more than he meant to.

Tony's hand reached out to stop the motion, but it was too late. The door was shut and he'd pissed off his boss again. Leaning his forehead against the back of the door, he sighed. Why did he always hurt everyone he loved? He hated to admit it, but he thought he might have learned from his father. It almost made him consider that his Dad didn't mean to do the things he did. But then he remembered the joy his pain seem to give his Dad. He decided it wasn't the same. Yes, he hurt people, but he never meant to.

Undressing, he climbed in the shower, turning the hot water on full blast. On some level, he knew he should cool it off, but the pain almost felt good in comparison to what he had just been through. As the water poured over him began to relax. It felt cleansing, almost as if he could wash away what had just happened.

He heard the door open and Gibbs quietly move in and out the bathroom. He didn't talk, afraid of what might come out of his mouth. Since his Dad had walked in the door, he seemed to be saying a lot of things that he shouldn't to Gibbs.

Eventually, the hot water began to run out and he turned the shower off. He was surprised hear the sound of the television coming from his living room. He was also surprised to find his sweat pants and a t-shirt on the counter. As he dressed he realized he recognized the muffled sounds coming through the door. His boss was watching _Magnum_.

Intrigued, he forgot his discomfort and headed for the living room. He found his boss on the couch, in the middle of one of his favorite episodes.

"Television?" He asked.

"You don't have a boat." Gibbs gruffly replied.

"Yeah, I think the landlady might object." Tony laughed imagining a boat in the middle of his cramped apartment. His smile quickly disappeared as he realized Gibbs was doing it again. His boss had picked up his favorite pizza and beer on the way over. Tony had enjoyed it, but felt like he didn't deserve it after almost injuring Gibbs earlier. However, he hadn't said anything.

Now, after pushing Gibbs again, Gibbs had put in Tony's favorite DVD. Why was Gibbs being so nice, when all he had done today was screw up? Avoiding the issue again, he head for the kitchen in search of liquor.

As Tony walked past him into the other room, Gibbs grimaced. He'd put on Tony's favorite show in an attempt to help. He was doing everything he could to try and make the situation easier for Tony, but every time he did caught the slight frown on Tony's face. It made him wonder if anyone had ever done anything nice for the man. Tony had said before, that when Gibbs was nice he only got suspicious, and it seemed to be true tonight. Gibbs wondered what his father had done to cause that reaction in his son. Interrupting his thoughts, Tony walked back into the room.

"I don't have any bourbon, but I think sake does the trick just as well. You want some?" He asked placing two shot glasses and a bottle of sake on the coffee table in front of them.

As Gibbs nodded in agreement, Tony sat opposite his boss on the couch and poured both of them a shot. Before Gibbs had even reached for his shot, Tony had drunk his first and was pouring a second.

Gibbs downed his shot, slightly surprised watching Tony pour himself another so quickly.

When Tony reached to pour his forth, Gibbs beat him to the bottle, moving it out of his reach. Tony got the signal, but was not happy to be interrupted.

"You can leave now, you know. My Dad's gone and he's not coming back tonight."

Gibbs raised his empty shot glass indicating that he had been drinking. "I can't drive."

Tony knew it was only one shot and Gibbs could drive so he considered arguing, but decided against it. He'd just lose anyway and besides he kind of liked having Gibbs here.

They watched the next episode of _Magnum_ in silence until Tony began unconsciously rubbing his arm, which was sore from his struggle with Gibbs earlier in the day.

Gibbs noticed the action, saddened by the fact that Tony had hurt himself in the struggle. He didn't regret holding Tony to the ground. If he hadn't, the day may have gone much differently. If Tony had hurt him in the fight, he knew they would not have been sitting here now. But, he wasn't exactly happy he'd had to manhandle him either.

As Tony continued to rub his arm he also remembered the events of the day. He felt horrible for attacking his boss. Gibbs had been a lifeline for Tony in his worst moments, and today he had gone out of his way again to try and preserve Tony's job. He owed Gibbs so much he knew he would never be able to repay him. However, instead of respecting the greatest mentor he'd ever had, he'd taken a swing at the man.

Gibbs observed the discomfort present on Tony's face as he rubbed his arm and mistook it for sadness. It hurt him to know Tony had been injured while in his care, even if it was Tony's own fault for pressing against the hold. Once again putting Tony's needs above his own, he pushed himself beyond what he was comfortable with.

"I didn't like hurting you, Tony." He commented quietly.

The statement was meant to soothe; a sort of Gibbs apology. However, Tony missed the meaning because it reminded him of another thought he'd had earlier in the day. How could his father enjoy hurting him? Was it genetic? Did he hurt the people he loved on purpose? How could he have attacked Gibbs in the first place? Did he like hurting people? Confused by the paths his brain was taking he decided to ask Gibbs' opinion.

"Do you ever like hurting anyone?" He questioned his mentor.

Undaunted by the change in topic Gibbs responded firmly. "When they deserve it."

Tony paused in response. He wasn't sure what that meant. Certainly, he deserved to hurt because of what he had tried to do to Gibbs, but Gibbs had just said he hadn't meant to hurt him. He was astonished at idea that Gibbs didn't want to hurt him, even when he did deserve it. He suddenly realized he hadn't wanted to hurt Gibbs either. Although he hurt his loved ones unintentionally, he never really wanted to.

On the other hand, he agreed with Gibbs. It was somewhat satisfying to hurt someone who deserved it. He remembered a few criminals over the years that had gotten exactly what they deserve and he'd been very pleased to see it.

Nevertheless, when he'd had his father pinned earlier, he'd thought he was going to enjoy it and he hadn't. He suddenly considered that his father might not have deserved the pain he'd had just inflicted on him. Maybe his father had been right all along.

It made him question; maybe he had deserved what had happened to him as a child. His dad had enjoyed it and maybe that was because he'd earned it. He was always in trouble. Always breaking the rules and pushing the limits. Maybe he deserved the punishment, because he'd been such a horrible child.

As Gibbs watched Tony through the corner of his eye he followed the faulty self-conversation that was going on in his senior agent's head. He studied the emotions that flashed across his face; first confusion, then pain, finally guilt. He could see with DiNozzo was doing. He was convincing himself that the abuse was his fault and Gibbs felt the need to intervene.

"You didn't deserve what he did to you back then. It's not your fault" Gibbs said.

"Yeah, I know." Tony responded with more self-confidence that he really had. His acting was superb but Gibbs knew him better than he thought.

"No," Gibbs strongly replied "you don't."

Suddenly, Tony felt the strong urge to deflect. He couldn't go down this path right now. He didn't have the vigor. Maybe another day he could handle it, but not tonight. He fell back on his strength, re-direction. "Did you know that line was in a movie? "Good Will Hunting" Great movie, it was directed by Gus VanSant and stars Robin Williams and Ma-"

"I know DiNozzo, I saw it."Gibbs interrupted.

"You did?"Tony looked at his boss surprised. He turned his head back towards the TV. "So you going to try and make me cry now?" he said in reference to the movie.

"You want me to?" Gibbs smirked, knowing Tony's response.

"No" Tony said emphatically.

"Me neither."

Truthfully, Gibbs thought Tony did need to talk it out, but he knew he wasn't the best choice for the conversation. He knew that Tony would be very uncomfortable with Gibbs knowing all his secrets. Secondly, it would only make Gibbs want to kill Tony's father even more. Thirdly, if he knew, he might try to protect Tony even more, and Tony would not appreciate the action. The Italian machismo prevented coddling.

Gibbs wasn't surprised when Tony got up at the end of the episode.

"Ahh, I think I'll head to bed now. You staying?" Tony asked.

Gibbs nodded yes in response. He pulled the blanket off the back off the couch, stretching his legs out, making himself comfortable. There was no way he was leaving tonight. Tony's father might just come back, he reasoned with himself. He didn't want to admit that he felt the need to watch over Tony tonight.

They said goodnight as Tony headed down the hall towards his bedroom. Tony fell heavily into his bed, glad that he already had his sweatpants on. Quickly pulling off the sweat shirt, he tossed it towards the hamper. He'd sweat to death if he tried to sleep in it.

Pushing the top blanket off, he rolled around attempting to get comfortable. It didn't work. Forty-five minutes later, he stared at the ceiling unable to sleep. His mind wouldn't let him rest.

In the other room Gibbs could hear Tony's bed repeatedly creak at his movement. He momentarily wondered why someone who had so many female overnight guests would have a creaky bed. It seemed like a bad idea, but knowing Tony there was probably a reason behind it.

He contemplated intervening. He'd wanted to help Tony to handle what had happened today, but he'd known better than push the envelope. Tony was unstable at the moment; grumpy one minute and happy the next. It seems like he couldn't decide what to feel and Gibbs had decided not to press, otherwise he might end up in the line of fire.

He didn't blame Tony for the rough reaction. The kid had a lot on his plate right now. In one day, he'd seen his Dad for the first time in years, and he'd ended any chance of a relationship with the man. Gibbs had some experienced with abused children and he knew they never gave up on their abusive parents. No matter what the parent had done, a child always loves their parents. It was confusing to everyone involved, including the child, who tended to defend their parents.

Obviously, Tony knew mentally what his father had done was wrong, but emotionally he would probably never be able let himself believe it. It went against human nature.

As Tony rolled over for the umpteenth time, Gibbs decided he had to intervene, or neither of them would be able to see straight tomorrow. They both needed their sleep so they could quickly solve their current case. Gibbs stood and walked down the hall. When he reached the bedroom door it stood wide open and he could see Tony, eyes shut lying on his back. Gibbs leaned against the door frame and waited.

He waited for a few minutes, watching Tony pretend to sleep. Obviously he didn't want to talk. But fortunately, Gibbs cared more about what was good for Tony than about what he wanted. Tired of waiting, he decided to speak first. "I know you're awake." leaning on the door frame.

Tony kept his eyes shut and didn't move a muscle when he responded. "That's good because it would be really creepy if my boss was watching me while I was sleeping."

Gibbs smirked but didn't reply. Now that he got the ball rolling, all Tony needed was a bit of silence and he would feel the need to fill it. Silence, without distraction was not something Tony was comfortable with. "You know, there's this movie where-"

"DiNozzo" his boss interrupted, annoyed at Tony again avoiding the topic at hand.

"Right, no movie references before bed." Tony cracked.

Slowly, Gibbs approached the bed, not wanting to spook Tony. Tony's eyes popped open as Gibbs drew near. He wasn't sure what Gibbs was doing.

Gibbs however had a plan. He decided, he'd done a pretty good job of calming Tony earlier, and it might just work again. "Roll over," he instructed.

"What?" Tony questioned. "Ah, boss I-"

"On your stomach." Gibbs clarified "Roll over, on your stomach."

Tony silently acquiesced, rolling towards the center of the bed. Gibbs sat on the edge and for the second time in the day began rubbing Tony's back.

Unlike at the office, this time Tony's head was turned away from Gibbs. He wasn't frightened, but he still had trouble handling the comforting motion. He wanted to dissolve away. So much had happened in one day, he'd fought, he'd be comforted and he'd hurt his father. He felt like he'd been on an emotional rollercoaster and someone had forgotten to strap him in.

He felt the consistent motion and mentally wanted to shy away. However, his emotional needs overwhelmed his thoughts and he shifted closer to his boss. He had no idea why this felt so good. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the gentle motion. "Maybe you should have been a masseuse boss." He jested, slightly lifting his head.

Gibbs playfully grunted, tapping Tony's head in response and then continued the soothing motion up and down his back.

Tony closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. He could feel his boss's callused hand caressing his shirtless back. The touch seemed so intimate. He imagined for a moment that today had never happened; that his childhood had never happened.

Imaginations were great. Like movies anything could happen, including the impossible. He imagined that Gibbs was his father, and with the motion of his hand on Tony's back it almost seemed real. The story came to life in his head and he smiled.

Gibbs noticed the slight grin tugging at Tony's mouth. He wasn't sure what it was about, but he was glad something had made Tony smile on this horrid day. Maybe his dreams would be nightmare free if he ended the day on a happy note.

Gibbs could tell Tony was close to losing consciousness. Before today, he'd no idea that rubbing Tony's back was going to so effective; the kid seamed to soak it up. It wasn't surprising really. Tony had always responded positively to physical attention. Whether it was head slaps to keep him in line, or pats on the back to tell him he had done a good job, Tony always listened when Gibbs touched him. Gibb decided he'd stumbled on a very effective way of manipulating DiNozzo. He'd use it in the future to help guide the younger man.

_Almost there. _Gibbsnoted, studying Tony's posture and position. He stopped the motion for a second, testing for a response.

"Unh" Tony objected nonsensically.

Gibbs began rubbing again, and decided if Tony was that close he just needed a little more attention to put him to sleep. Gently he slid his hand to the back of Tony's head. Neat slow strokes caressed his hair and caused Tony to sleepily lean in to the hand, sighing in pleasure.

Gibbs slowed the motion even more, eventually letting his hand rest on the nape of Tony's neck. As he stilled this time, Tony no longer responded. _Out like a rock, just like Kelly. _Whenever his daughter had had trouble sleeping he'd used this technique to put her down. It had worked amazingly back then and tonight, he learned he hadn't lost his touch. He almost felt like a father again.

He didn't move, deciding instead to rest quietly, his hand on Tony's neck. He knew Tony was sleeping; the soft snoring gave him away. Tony wouldn't remember this, but he somehow felt he could heal a part of Tony's soul by bestowing a gentle touch. Words had never been his strong suit, but touch was one thing Gibbs was a master at.

Someday he would teach Tony about being a real father, and what that was like. And someday, Tony would learn to rub his own child's back; a comforting and soothing motion, rubbing in safety, protection and love.

The End.


End file.
